Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. and the Essex County Division of Senior Services invite Essex seniors ages 60 and older to submit an original story focusing on a special person, life-changing experience or significant period of their life to the 2019 Essex County Legacies Writing Contest. The deadline is Friday, March 15, 2019.

“Our senior citizens have led interesting lives and I am always impressed by the stories that are submitted. Our Legacies Contest is an opportunity for our older residents to remember their past and share their experiences with family, friends and the younger generation,” DiVincenzo said. “It’s never too early to begin collecting your thoughts and writing your drafts. I encourage all our seniors to start working on their entries now,” he added.

The contest rules are as follows:

Writers must be Essex County residents who are 60 years of age or older.

Entries should be original stories focusing on a special person, a life-altering experience or a significant period in your life.

The suggested maximum length is 1,500 words.

Stories must be typed or legibly hand-written on 8.5-by-11-inch paper.

Entries must have a cover page with the story’s title, the author’s name, date of birth, address and telephone number.

The story title with no identifying information should appear on the first page of the story text. All identifying information about the author is removed when stories are judged by the review committee.

Seniors may submit only one entry.

Previously published stories may not be submitted.

Seniors should keep a copy of the story. Entries will not be returned.

The deadline for entries is Friday, March 15, 2019. Late entries will not be accepted.

Stories should be sent to the following:

Essex County Division of Senior Services

Attn: Gloria Chambers-Benoit

900 Bloomfield Avenue

Verona, NJ 07044

Or e-mailed to gbenoit@seniors.essexcountynj.org

All writers who submit stories will be invited to the Division of Senior Services Legacies Award Ceremony in May 2019. Awards will be presented to the authors of the winning and honorable mention stories. These stories will be posted on the Essex County website at www.essexcountynj.org.

For a complete list of contest rules or for more information, please visit www.essexcountynj.org or call the Essex County Division of Senior Services at 973-395-8389.